Nuffield & Chiefs - A Winning Team

By Mark Stevens
19/9/18

Exeter Chiefs and the Nuffield Health Hospital in Exeter have extended their partnership into a seventh successive season.

As official healthcare partner to the Chiefs, Nuffield Health Exeter hospital provides the Premiership club with state-of-the-art diagnostic services, including MRI and CT scans, as well as access to some of the best surgeons in the UK.

Over the past seven years Nuffield Health Exeter Hospital has treated numerous players for various injuries, all of whom have successfully returned to competitive rugby.

Players are often able to have a diagnostic scan immediately after the injury occurs, before then receiving the diagnosis and treatment they need within days. As is often the case with rugby, many of the injuries commonly occur to the shoulder and knee, so it’s often an orthopaedic consultant at the hospital who treat a player.

Former player Kai Horstmann, now Corporate Account Manager at the Chiefs, said: “Injury is very much part and parcel of playing rugby, but it’s reassuring to know we have expert consultant surgeons right here on our doorstep. The comnbined expertise of our own medical team, together with the consultants at the Nuffield, mean our players have access to the best medical care, which is absolutely critical for both players and the club.”

Among those working closely with the Chiefs is Mr Vipul Mandalia, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Exeter Nuffield is a specialist in ligament, meniscus, and cartilage injury, he develops and teaches (other surgeons), cutting edge techniques in the surgical treatment of sports injuries across the UK and Europe.

Mr Mandalia says: “Working with elite sportsmen and women is a privilege and a challenge, but the facilities at the Nuffield ensure I can deliver first class and immediate care to get an injured player back to training as soon as practicably possible.”

Nuffield Health is one of the leading not-for-profit UK healthcare organisations, looking after people for more than 60 years. Today, they run a network of hospitals, medical clinics, fitness and wellbeing clubs and diagnostic units across the UK.

Through their experts, they link their sites and services up to offer connected healthcare provision, including nutritional therapy, emotional wellbeing, occupational health, comprehensive health assessments, and personal training and hospital treatments. They also offer access to the largest network of physiotherapists outside of the NHS.

Paul Taylor, Hospital Director at Nuffield Health Exeter Hospital, added: “Again, we are delighted to support the Exeter Chiefs and wish them all the best for a successful season. All athletes know, amateur or professional, that when you get injured you need a clear diagnosis and an immediate treatment plan to get you on the road to recovery.”